Cupra is Seat’s performance sub-brand, so the model we are looking at here is the hot version of the already brilliant Seat Leon. How hot? Well, it sports nigh-on 300hp, which is plenty in a front-wheel-drive chassis. An element of torque steer is present, of course, but the fact that this (mild) criticism is the extent of my concerns after a week with it should be seen as the high praise I intend it to be.
What makes the Cupra so wonderful? Well, the cooking Seat Leon models are already my pick of the bunch if you are looking for a family hatchback. With the sweetest handling chassis in their class allied to great build quality and the sort of classless image that used to be the preserve of the first two evolutions of the Volkswagen Golf. They’re cheap, too, which always helps.
The Cupra’s interior is generic Leon, with a few tweaks — primarily a copper-coloured badge on the steering wheel, red mood lights on the door cards, and a pair of very comfortable leather-trimmed front seats — to justify the £30,000 price tag. And that’s because the basic Volkswagen Group architecture is well-proven, attractive, very durable and flawlessly ergonomic.
Mechanically, the Cupra’s engine has more power than anyone really needs, while a powerful and progressive braking system acts in a supporting role to a chassis that gives utterly faithful handling. It also has the sort of understated yet menacing exhaust note to which I would never tire of listening; the engineers involved should be applauded for not making it as vulgar and raucous as that of some of its competitors.
Nineteen-inch alloy wheels shod with low-profile tyres give the Leon a ride that is definitely on the firm side, but it’s not tiring in the way that some Audi or Ford models are; I thought the firmness was, all things considered, a small price to pay.
But this is no one-trick, high-speed pony; pottering around town is made easy thanks to the simply brilliant seven-speed DGS automatic gearbox and great gobs of torque: 350Nm, to be precise. This muscularity makes itself felt at even moderate speeds, making nip-and-tuck city driving effortless. And then, when you want to unleash it as I did on a 60-mile sprint along the Welsh Marches on a hot summer day, the mighty Leon rises to the occasion with aplomb.
Switched into Cupra mode (Comfort is great for ambling, and Sport is perfect for anything but the most hard-core of journeys. Interestingly, the Leon stays in the setting you last used until you change it, rather than defaulting to vanilla when the engine is turned on again, like that of almost every other car manufacturer. This is a Very Good Thing) the Leon becomes a little more hard-edged, a bit sharper — and utterly beguiling. Change gears using the steering wheel-mounted paddles if you must, but the four-cylinder, turbocharged engine will scream its way to the red line in either case, accompanied by a muted but purposeful exhaust note.
Time and time again, I flew between corners, braking late and hard before turning in; you know that it is safe to start to feed the power in when you can see your exit, finally flooring the throttle when the steering wheel is straight. The multi-plate, hydraulically activated, and electronically controlled differential lock (which can, in extremis, send 100% of the available power to one wheel) helps, but a sensitive driver should know enough about driving to give it a hand when using full throttle out of tight, low-speed bends.
It demanded much the same technique as my old Porsche 911, albeit with more power, better handling and far better brakes. The Porsche would win on the quality of its steering feel, but I doubt it would be able to see which way the Seat had gone under real-world conditions.
But it’s not just a point-and-squirt machine because when the corners are open and flowing, and visibility is good, then the Cupra storms along with fidelity and confidence. That drive along the Welsh border will remain with me for a very long time; where some journeys leave you flooded with adrenaline, I was merely smiling and relaxed, having covered ground faster than I would have done in almost anything else. I was stirred but not shaken.
The return journey along the motorway was accomplished in almost complete silence, bar a little tyre noise. The Leon’s shape is clearly very aerodynamic, and only small throttle openings were necessary to maintain a decent cruising speed. (Speaking of which, no one makes cruise controls like Volkswagen; simple, intuitive and wonderfully effective. Other manufacturers should take note…)
And, I managed to eke out almost 35mpg over a full tank of fuel, which I thought was pretty damned impressive given the performance that’s possible.
If you like your fast cars edgy, loud and unpredictable, then the Seat Leon Cupra isn’t for you. But, if you’re all grown up now and prefer your thrills discreet and subtle, then this might just be the car you’ve been looking for.
Or maybe not. As I was typing this out, I discovered the Cupra R. Available as an estate (or ST in Seat-speak) as well as a hatchback, it’s further fettled by the well-known tuning company ABT. When it is finished, your four-wheel-drive Leon ST Cupra R will boast 365hp, a set of Brembo brakes, and a 0-62mph time of just 4.5 seconds, or a full one and a half seconds faster than the model I tested.
The Seat Leon Cupra ST R will set you back almost £38,500, but I can’t think of a more sensible way to travel very quickly indeed.
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